Baileys Coffee Float

This float is just like a root beer float, but with coffee ice cream and, of course, Baileys. I had the idea for Baileys floats on my birthday last Saturday with vanilla ice cream, although that was taken to whole ‘nother level when my aunt also picked up a Haagen Dazs coffee ice cream. If you’ve put Baileys in your coffee before or are only familiar with the practice (like I am), you’ll know where I’m going with this.

The Baileys blends beautifully with the root beer, taking off some of the edge that root beer sometimes has. It rounds it off slightly with the creamy notes of the coffee ice cream. In other words, as I told my aunt, it’s killer! (That’s a good thing.)

I didn’t end up having this float version of Baileys Coffee on my birthday, though I made sure I did on the day after. On my birthday I had less than an ounce of Baileys and I like it. (My Mum’s argued the point, though, how it’s not hard to like something with sugar in it.) And no, I didn’t get drunk – I don’t see much glamour in that or having hangover parties.

I’m a bit nervous about posting this since I am not one hundred per cent sure about Baileys being gluten-free. I’ve been on the company’s website (after verifying that I’m of legal drinking age) and the only information provided does not confirm or deny that it is or isn’t gluten-free. I quote, “Please be advised that the whiskey used in Baileys is manufactured by fermenting grain which contains Gluten. Due to the presence of gluten in the whiskey components before distillation we cannot absolutely guarantee that there are no effects to coeliacs.”

Baileys and birthday presents for the birthday girl (Instagram)

I’ve Googled and found forums discussing Baileys status as gluten-free or not: some forum members say that they get a reaction or don’t trust it, so they don’t drink it; others say that they drink it and aren’t affected at all. As I’ve mentioned before in previous posts, I am not gluten intolerant or celiac, so I can’t really give advice from personal experience.

Haagen Dazs’ coffee ice cream, on the other hand, is confirmed as gluten-free according to the company’s website.

Look forward to a birthday post coming from me soon in this space. First, though, the recipe for my birthday float. (The tumbler in the first photo lights up, hence the golden glow on the bottom. We brought four of them back with us from Fiji.)

Scoop two to three scoops of coffee ice cream into a glass or tumbler. Pour root beer over the ice cream and add a small amount of Baileys, about 1 1/2 teaspoons. (For the sake of blogging, I measured it but I usually don’t.) Serve with a spoon and/or straw.

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6 thoughts on “Baileys Coffee Float”

Happy Birthday, Zoe!
Are you officially not a teen anymore or do you have another year to go?
I know the legal age is different depending on the country and even though I never took to spirited beverages, I always liked it when someone would give a wee toast. My Scottish friend was the best at them!
I remember my Mom having a little bit on Christmas morning in her coffee or on special occasions but I was always the ginger ale girl.

Here is a good Irish toast to go with your Bailey’s and Birthday😉

May you live a long life
Full of gladness and health
With a pocket full of gold
As the least of your wealth
May the dreams you hold dearest
Be those which come true
May the kindness you spread,
Keep returning to you.

Thank you for the Irish toast and birthday wishes!😉 Well, technically I’m a legal adult (not just legal drinking age!) but my age still ends in “teen”….so, not sure? Haha. I think I’m an adult now. Cast off my teenage skin and wiggle around a bit!

I’m crazy about Bailey’s, Zoe! I know I would love this recipe. I’m trying not to eat any dairy so Bailey’s is out at least for now, but I’ll be dreaming about this recipe and will pass it on to others. I understand your hesitancy on sharing the Bailey’s gf status, too. Bailey’s site used to say that it was gluten free, but then all the info about labeling and proposed standards came out several years ago and they replaced their gluten-free statement with the current one you quoted. When inquiries were made if they’d changed their formulation or done anything differently, they said no, and many like myself continued to enjoy it without issue. A lot of companies took this approach to be better safe than sorry since they don’t test their products to ensure that they are gf. I do have to admit that I feel less certain about Bailey’s newer flavors though. I’ve felt a little off after trying the caramel one.

Folks say that St. Brendan’s Irish Cream is stated to be gluten free, but it’s not available around here. I do know that many of the other Irish Creams like Emmett’s and Carolans Irish Cream are not gluten free. For a totally safe way to enjoy this, one could make one’s own Irish Cream. It’s not hard at all and is quite good. And do you know about Amarula from Africa? (amarula.com) It’s a liqueur that’s similar to Bailey’s but even more divine IMHO. It’s made from the fruit of the marula tree. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarula Elephants and monkeys enjoy eating the fruit of the marula tree and there are “stories” that the animals can get drunk from the fermented fruit, but most say those are myths. Don’t know. I just know I love it. My friend recently went to Africa on safari and brought some back. I enjoyed my two glasses very, very much.

“Amarula Cream is a premium product based on a blend of fresh dairy cream and marula spirit. The product does not contain any gluten containing grains nor their derivatives and is therefore gluten free. The product is produced in a dedicated production plant where there is no risk of potential accidental contamination. The product is bottled on a bottling line that is shared with other products that have also been determined as being gluten free and therefore there is no risk of accidental contamination.

In addition it should be noted that the product contains caramel colour that is indirectly derived from glucose syrup which in turn is derived from maize. We have had confirmation from the supplier of our caramel colour that there is no chance of accidental contamination of the maize with gluten containing grains and therefore the caramel colour is gluten free.”

Shirley, I’ve only tried the original Baileys – haven’t even got near to trying the rest of the line! (Not like it’s a personal goal or anything, haha.) Thanks for your input on Baileys’ gluten-free status or lack thereof as well as other substitutes for Baileys. I’ve seen people being brutally attacked online for mistaking or believing something as gluten-free when it may not be, so that’s why I included all that info as a preventative measure as well as a precaution since I intend on keeping Z’s Cup of Tea as a gluten-free blog and don’t mean to possibly misguide anyone. While it doesn’t give a definite answer to consumers with food allergies or sensitivities, I think it’s still smart of companies to take that approach rather than be safe and sorry, as you said. In the long run it isn’t worth it and it’s always a mess.

I had never heard of Amarula before, but I love the sound of it! I read up on the fruit also and whether or not that is true about the monkeys and elephants, it leaves me feeling amused although I’m not sure how amusing it could be to have a drunk elephant or monkey. A reasonable person would probably want to keep away! Thanks again for providing all that detailed info about it being gluten-free – you’re a trooper, Shirley! I’d love to try it sometime, if an opportunity comes along. Saying something tastes even better than Baileys has me intrigued.

I wanted to report that I recently contacted Carolans about their gf status and this was their response:

“Carolans does not contain wheat gluten or any other protein. Celiac sprue, or gluten intolerance, is an allergic reaction by sensitive individuals to wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is the protein component of wheat grains or wheat flour. In our alcohol manufacturing process, all the gluten has been removed.

Please note however, that we cannot offer specific advice, and recommend you discuss these matters with your medical or dietetic advisors. We hope this addresses your concerns about alcohol and celiac disease.”